


Burning Brightly

by Sophisticated_Adult



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Matrix of Leadership (Transformers), Pre-Relationship, soundwave: "is anyone going to adopt that", the matrix is as thirsty as ever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:01:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29246982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophisticated_Adult/pseuds/Sophisticated_Adult
Summary: “Er-” Hot Rod stared, fixed in place, at the sudden attention from theentire roomof surprised Decepticons blinking in the aftermath. In his hands the treacherous Matrix still pulsed and flashed, warm under his tight grip.He'd been trying torescuethe stupid thing from the enemy, and this was what he got for it?!('the matrix decides it likes Roddy like five minutes earlier' AU)
Relationships: Megatron/Rodimus | Rodimus Prime
Comments: 11
Kudos: 99





	Burning Brightly

“Er-” Hot Rod stared, fixed in place, at the sudden attention from the _entire room_ of surprised Decepticons blinking in the aftermath. In his hands the treacherous Matrix still pulsed and flashed, warm under his tight grip. 

He'd been trying to _rescue_ the stupid thing from the enemy, and this was what he got for it?!

“Seize him!” Someone at the back roared, _Megatron_ , his processor supplied, and his spark clenched in terror. Two nearby 'Cons recovered first and grabbed at him; he managed to duck the first, dodging right into the second one's expansive chest. 

“Autobot: apprehended,” Soundwave announced, and that was when Roddy realised that – that he shouldn't be this tall. He was optic-level with the glass on Soundwave's chest, staring at the purple Deceptibrand, when five seconds ago he would have barely been up to the stoic carrier model's waist. His feet still touched the ground, where before Soundwave could have easily hoisted him up one-handed.

It hadn't just been a burst of light to get him caught, he realised numbly as Megatron strode forward, shoving shocked 'Cons out of the way. The warlord stomped up to them, planting his feet as his armour bristled with rage.

“You-!” The barrel of Megatron's fusion cannon was shoved at his face. The Matrix pulsed rapidly, and overflowing energy with nowhere else to go frizted and crackled out of Roddy's optics, bleeding white.

“In – in my defense, I didn't plan on this, Megs,” he offered, mustering a cheeky grin seeing as he was about to die anyway. Megatron loomed over him, taking up the entire world, but belatedly Roddy realised he probably wouldn't fire while Soundwave was still holding him.

Probably.

“Name,” Megatron demanded, the sharp syllable coming out as a low, growling rumble. The fusion cannon began to power up, emitting a whine as Soundwave's thick arm across his chest tightened its grip.

“It's-” Roddy stopped trying to dislodge the blue slab of metal pinning him down as a thought crystallised in his head, and yes, this was right. At least he'd say it, at least they'd know, before he died.

“Rodimus,” he announced, staring down Megatron's furious optics, holding up the glowing Matrix as if to prove a point. Funnily enough, that seemed to cause some stuck gear to turn in that rusted bucket-head, because Megatron blinked and looked over Rodimus' head, brow furrowing in confusion as some wordless conversation passed between him and Soundwave. Rodimus flinched, but the only place to go was burrowing his back into Soundwave's chest as _something_ pushed against his mind, tendrils slipping around meager defenses. 

“Escort him to a cell,” Megatron said coldly. “And get back to work!” he roared, turning on the circle of staring Decepticons, who all yelped as one and scrambled over each other to get out of his way and back to their workstations.

Soundwave turned abruptly, dragging Rodimus with him, who kicked out his new, longer legs mostly because he could, catching his captor with the back of his heel with a satisfying _thunk_. 

“Desist,” Soundwave intoned, unmoved. 

“Yeah, sorry,” Rodimus said, not sorry at all as he tried hitting the Matrix against the arm still holding him, since the holiest of Autobot relics was apparently _stuck_ to his hands and wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

Soundwave ended up dragging him not to some dank brig like he was expecting, but what looked like ordinary crew quarters. The door swooshed shut and beeped confirmation as Soundwave set the lock passcode on the other side.

Rodimus looked around, hands still stuck fast to the stupid artifact that had caused all this in the first place. Huh. That could have gone worse. Sure the room was bare save a desk shoved against one wall, but he had lighting and a berth, at least. Even a window out into the vastness of space, if he ever thought chancing his luck with the empty void was a better option than a ship full of Decepticons.

He sat down on the cold berth, breathing out. Then he looked down, the Matrix's light innocently providing its own soft glow between his hands.

“Wanna explain yourself, buddy?” Rodimus asked, eyeing the thing reproachfully. He didn't mind the free upgrade, but it was a hell of a time for it to pick itself a new Prime.

Of course there was no answer. And it still wouldn't let him _let go._

Jerk.

\---

With nothing better to do after an inspection of the door and desk proved fruitless, Rodimus napped relatively peacefully. Instead of the usual bad memories rising in flames in his mind's-eye there was nothing, which was a marked improvement over most of his recharges.

He was woken from his light doze by the door opening, heralding the arrival of Megatron himself, who had to crouch slightly to get his massive frame through the door. Rodimus sat up and straightened, trying to keep in mind that _prisoner_ was better than _dead_ before he mouthed off too much.

(In most cases, anyway, and he shook off memories of Overlord's prison-world).

“Soundwave informs me that this is real, and not some cheap Autobot trick,” Megatron announced, coming to stand in front of him, arms folded. 

“Well, if Soundwave says,” Rodimus replied with a shrug. To his surprise, the huge, hulking mech in front of him -

\- moved gingerly to sit on the berth beside him.

“He also informed me of your designation,” Megatron continued as though Rodimus' snark had gone in one audial and out the other. “Before.” Rodimus stared at him, uncomprehending. So? What did that have to do with -

“I apologise.”

“Sorry – what?” Rodimus looked helplessly from Megatron's face to the sedate Matrix, as though either one could provide an explanation for the sudden sharp turn into unreality. Maybe his audials were glitched, something in the frame upgrade had gone wrong -

“You know what I'm talking about.” Megatron looked directly at him, and slag him if that wasn't actual, genuine _regret_ in smouldering ruby optics. “I was – too preoccupied. I was in position to help your people, and -”

“Shut up.” Rodimus stood abruptly, teeth ground together. “You - _you_ , you don't _get_ to-!”

“I meant no offense.” Megatron held both his hands out, palm-up, and at this point Rodimus was probably hallucinating, because he was in the same room as Megatron and he wasn't dead and the guy was trying to be _reasonable_ over something Rodimus had no desire to ever hear anyone speak of ever again.

“Just shut up,” Rodimus mumbled, plopping pathetically back down. “It's – it was always my fault.”

Megatron let the silence stretch out, either agreeing with him or not seeing a point in arguing him down. 

“I cannot simply let you go back to the Autobots,” Megatron said quietly. “But you, I would not see killed.”

“Great.” Rodimus stared down at the Matrix, really starting to hate the way the damn thing _wouldn't budge_. “I mean, I got in here just fine. I can probably get out again.”

Megatron snorted. “You're welcome to try, but you appear rather...stuck.”

“You're tellin' me.” Rodimus scowled, trying once again to drop it to the floor and once again failing. He probably would have gotten out, too, if it hadn't gone and decided it _liked_ him.

“I have a suggestion,” Megatron said, standing up. “Assuming you want to take the Matrix for yourself, as Prime?”

“Er.” Now there was something he'd been trying very hard not to think about.

“When it's not being used, it's usually carried in here, to my knowledge.” Megatron tapped his chest. “If you want to accept it, that is.”

“Yeah.” Rodimus stared at the floor, newly-extended spoiler-wings slumping. He'd just wanted to get it back to Optimus. Not whatever the frag weird side-reality he'd stepped into where Megatron was _nice_ to him. “I guess I'll have to think about it.”

Megatron left him to it, leaving him with only the warm light in his hands.

**Author's Note:**

> trunglr: https://of-nyon.tumblr.com/
> 
> (wrt 'he could probably get out again': remember how Hot Rod got in and out of the super mega prison by himself completely successfully? I do).


End file.
